Hammerheads to stay close to home in upcoming season

Thursday

Jan 30, 2014 at 2:48 PM

The 2014 schedule includes only one trip out west.

By Vince Nairn Vince.Nairn@StarNewsOnline.com

USL Pro released its schedule Thursday, unveiling an unbalanced, regional philosophy.Unlike in 2013, when all 13 teams in the professional soccer league played each other twice, this year's schedule is weighted for teams to play a majority of games closer to their region. The 14 teams play a 28-match schedule, 26 against other USL Pro teams and two against MLS reserve clubs.The Wilmington Hammerheads, who open at home April 5 against Harrisburg, play three matches each against Charlotte, Rochester, Richmond and defending champion Orlando City. The Hammers will host Charlotte on April 26 and Charleston on May 10 in their first matchups against the rivals. Orlando City, which will head to MLS in 2015, plays its second-to-last USL Pro regular-season game Sept. 3 at Legion Stadium.Expansion teams in Sacramento and Oklahoma City begin play this year, and LA Galaxy announced Wednesday it will operate its own reserve club in the league, Galaxy II. That trio, combined with Phoenix and LA Blues, make five teams in the western part of the country. The Hammerheads have only one West Coast trip: at Sacramento, Los Angeles and Galaxy II in mid-August over the span of five days. Oklahoma City and Phoenix each visit Wilmington once. The western teams play each other four times, have two matches against one other team and play everybody else once.The Hammerheads host the Chicago Fire reserves on June 21 and play at the New York Red Bulls reserves on Aug. 15.Neither Antigua nor VSI Tampa Bay, which played in USL Pro last year, willl be part of the league this year.